Photo courtesy of ucentralarkansas on flickr.
I recently took the GRE, and I was pretty disappointed in my results. There were several things that I did wrong that affected my test results.
I’m not an expert, but here are some things to avoid when taking the GRE.
Make sure you know your Math. If you have been used to doing math with a calculator, then you will have a difficult time in this section because they don’t let you use a calculator at all.
You need to really practice math if you haven’t practiced for awhile. There are some great books out there, but even better yet, take some GRE Prep classes or have a math tutor help.
Don’t just sign up for one tutorial session. I only signed up for one math tutor class. I had just one math tutor class, and the guy had never tutored people for the GRE. He had never taken the GRE either, so he wasn’t able to personally tell me what to expect.
I had brought a book about GRE math to the session, and he hadn’t brought anything except a laptop. The thing is, sometimes there isn’t a wireless connection where you are at, so don’t depend on technology too much. It’s great to have questions prepared ahead of time when you meet with your tutor, so you know what to expect.
Plan to take the test several times so you can choose the best score to submit with your Grad School applications. Grad School applications are all usually due during December. So make sure you take the GRE several times during the year, so you can pick your best score.
Expect life to get in the way. I got a flu shot on October 18th, and my test was on November 2nd. Little did I know that by getting the flu shot, I most likely would get sick. I was super sick from October 19th through November 5th. So I was sick during my test.
It’s expensive to take the GRE, so make it count! You’re paying over $100 for each time you take the test, so don’t waste your money. Once your scores are recorded, it’s difficult to change them, unless you retake the test and get a better score. They will save all of your test scores.
Read classic literature. This is a tip I read about somewhere, and I really wish that I had done. These days with blogs and Twitter, nobody writes like they do in classic literature. Yet on the GRE most of the vocabulary uses big words that you never see in your daily life. By reading classic literature, you will learn to understand the words in their appropriate context. If you aren’t good at memorization, then reading will be a fun way to study.
Manage Your Time. If you have time to plan ahead, make sure you give yourself enough time to study for the GRE so that these things don’t happen to you.
It’s hard to predict what will happen in your life outside of studying for the GRE. I also ended up having to move unexpectedly during that same time I was taking the GRE, so things always can come up when you least expect it. If you work full time, tell your boss and coworkers what you are doing, so they don’t ask you to do too much extra work or social activities after work.
Ask for help from your friends and family to help take care of things that you normally take care of such as pets, children, or even chores you normally do. Every moment counts, and hours add up to days. Time waits for no one, so make sure you manage your time effectively when studying for the GRE.
This is a a guest post by Taraneh Guidry a writer for TeachStreet. TeachStreet is a website dedicated to providing online and local classes, including GRE prep classes.
